A Promising Witch
by Grace Riland
Summary: Have you ever wondered what Hermione thought of Hogwarts? What her secrets and wishes were? Well now you can find out. This is my first ever attempt at fanfiction and I will try to post a new chapter every month, I hope you enjoy, any comments would be great too!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Hermione Granger sat at the front of her class listening intently to her maths teacher trying to explain a particularly difficult division question. It was the last day of term and the last day Hermione had left at her small primary school of her home town in Suffolk.

Suddenly the piece of paper the teacher was holding flew up into the air and hovered smoothly above his head.

"Woops! I must have left the window open." As Mr White shut the classroom window Hermione struggled to make the paper stop floating; she shook her head violently side to side. It was the second time that day that something peculiar had happened to her and she had no idea how or why it happened but what she did know, and what those around her failed to realise, was that it was her who was causing it.

It had started a couple of years ago when Hermione, feeling frustrated at not being able to quite master the technique of proper punctuation, had made her pencil burst into flames. The classroom had been in uproar as the whole school was evacuated onto the playground for 'health and safety' reasons. At the time she had been unable to understand why it had happened but she realised it must have been her as only moments before she had imagined that exact outcome.

At home that night she had experimented a bit more and found that if she concentrated properly she could make just about anything she wanted happen to her stationary.

Since then she had controlled her 'weird' powers but today she was having real difficulty in doing so as she was so distracted by the events of the morning.

They had been running late for the school run as Hermione's mother had overslept, when Caroline Granger had woken her daughter she was carrying with her a small yellowing letter with a red seal on the back. The return address had read: 'Hogwarts School'

Hermione had been desperate to open it and find out what the strange letter meant and who it was from. She had just begun to break the seal when her father had popped his head around her bedroom door.

"Come on! We need to go otherwise we'll all be late." Both Caroline and David Granger worked as dentists in the same practise and their patients often arrived early and therefore it was important that they were on time.

"Can I just open my letter?" Hermione asked, her fingers poised on the seal, desperate to open it but not wishing to disobey her parents.

"Not now my love, save it for after school and we can all open it together. I think this is your first letter that's not from a family member, very exciting!" Caroline patted her daughter on the shoulder as she got up from the end of the bed, "I think your blouse is hanging up in the kitchen so you will need to be extra quick ironing it this morning."

They had arrived at school a few minutes late and so Hermione had been distracted by the busy hustle of setting up the classroom for the first lesson and it wasn't until morning break that she remembered the letter. That was when her first strange thing of the day had happened, when her glass of milk she had been holding suddenly turned into an ice cream cone.

Hermione had never been popular at school as she had always preferred the company of books over other children and as a result she often spent her break times alone, as she did today. So no one noticed her little 'incident' as her parents had named her strange abilities – she had shown them straight away what she could do as she was a firm believer in parents being able to solve every problem, although unfortunately not this one.

She continued to think about the letter all day and by the time it came to the school's final assembly of the academic year and the goodbye lunch that had been put on for her and her fellow classmates of year six, she was in a world of her own and so the tearful goodbyes of her year group went unnoticed to her as she pondered over the yellowing bit of parchment waiting for her at home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Did you have a good day of school then my love" Caroline Granger asked her daughter as she collected her from the school gates.

"Yes thanks Mum. Although I did have quite a few 'incidents' today." Hermione fiddled with the small shoe shaped key ring on her rucksack as she avoided her mother's worried glances.

"Oh dear! I thought they had stopped?" Caroline unlocked their bicycles from the rack and adjusted her helmet as she thought about her daughters troubles.

"No, I mean they _had_ stopped but they still happen when I'm distracted by something else."

"Well I'm sure it's just a phase, you'll get over it soon enough. What were you distracted by?" Caroline stuck her left arm out to indicate to the cars which way they were going and they pulled up into Somerset Close.

"That letter that came this morning, it just looks so peculiar and it made me feel a bit funny when I held it" Hermione hopped off her bike and pushed it into their garage at number eight.

Once inside the house Hermione quickly deposited her school bag upstairs and then raced back into the living room to find her father had just arrived home.

"Hello dear, I hear you're desperate to open the letter? Shall we do so then?" David gave his only child and affectionate hug and pointed to the mantel piece where the letter had been placed for the day.

Hermione reached up and took the letter carefully into her hands; half afraid it would dissintergrate at her touch. She had no idea why she felt so nervous and excited about this letter but for some reason her fingers tingled when she touched it.

Hermione broke the seal and real the letter that was contained within:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A member of our staff will come to your house on the eve of you receiving this letter to answer any questions I am sure you must have.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hermione stared at the letter, her mouth hanging open in shock. She had been given a place at a school that taught magic. Suddenly it dawned on her; these 'incidents' shed been having weren't incidents at all, instead she realised, she could do magic!

"Who's it from then?" David peered over Hermione's shoulder, trying to read the words on the page but all he could see were elaborate squiggles dotted randomly on the paper.

"I've been given a place at a school that teaches magic!" Hermione grinned at her parents and handed the letter to her mother.

"But Hermione, there's nothing written on this paper, just lots of funny shapes." Caroline looked at her husband for an explanation but he too was just as confused and simply shrugged his shoulders at his wife.

"No, there _are_ words, it says I've been given a place." Hermione gazed at her parents, why couldn't they see the letter.

"Are you sure that you aren't making this up Hermione?" David gave his daughter a very stern look, "After all you know magic doesn't -"

Just then a smart rap came on their front door, causing Mr Granger to break off mid-sentence.

"Who could that be? We aren't expecting anyone are we?" Caroline asked with confusion.

"Oh! That'll be the teacher they said they would send." Hermione skipped out of the room before her parents had a chance to question her.

Hermione unlocked the front door and completely forgot her manners when she set eyes on the women standing on their porch step. She was wearing a floor length, black robe that swept the air gracefully as the wearer moved, a black pointy hat and oddly enough s Hermione noticed, bright white trainers.

"Hello, you must be Hermione. May I come in?"

"Er…Yes." Hermione stepped back from the doorway so that the lady could come inside. Hermiones parents came out of the living room and stared at their guest.

"Oh hello Mr and Mrs Granger. I'm Professor McGonagall, Hagrid was supposed to meet you but unfortunately he had to be called away on other business so I'm here instead, I hope you don't mind?" She had a very direct way of talking and Hermione could sense instantly that she wasn't one to take any nonsense.

"Hello Professor, perhaps you could explain what is going on." Hermione's father was the first of them to snap out of the slight trance they were all under.

"Of course, shall we go through?" The Professor walked confidently into the living room and placed herself neatly in the armchair. The Grangers followed and once they were all seated their guest proceeded to explain everything.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hermione is a witch."

"I'm a _what_?" gasped Hermione, she had looked to her parents but they looked just as confused as her.

"A witch, Miss Granger." McGonagall remained expressionless, readjusted her robes and then continued, "We have been watching you for a few years now, just after you performed your first spell and we would like to offer you a place at our school so that you can develop your talent and I must say that from what I've seen your talent is quite impressive."

Hermione didn't know whether to be shocked that someone had been following her or proud that this woman seemed to think she was talented in some way.

"I'm sorry Professor, but I still don't understand. Are you saying that what our daughter can do is...magic?" Caroline asked. Hermione's parents had remained amazingly calm since the Professor had arrived and McGonagall was pleased, she had been to a muggle house only the day before and the parents had called the police, claiming that she had obviously escaped from a mental institute. She had had to resort to the _placare _spell to diffuse the situation. The Granger's were taking this very well.

"That is exactly what I am saying Mrs Granger."

"But magic doesn't _exist_!" Mr Granger said exasperated, beginning to think this was all some silly prank Hermione had managed to set up.

"Of course magic exists Mr Granger. Allow me to show you." This wasn't strictly allowed but McGonagall was still tired from yesterday's events and so was willing to break the rules just this once if it meant that she could go home sooner, so with a flourish she pulled a long wand from the sleeve of her robe. Suddenly the clock on the wall transformed into a kingfisher and flew about the room. McGonagall flicked her wand again and it turned back into the clock and placed itself onto the wall once more. Hermione's parents just looked at each other in shock but Hermione was already asking questions.

"Wow! That was amazing, will I be able to do that?"

"Thank you Miss Granger and yes, once you have your own wand and if you listen in lessons and work hard you will one day be able to achieve any spell you want." The Professor smiled at Hermione, she had a feeling that this girl would be a great witch one day. Turning to Hermione's parents she said, "I know that this is all a bit overwhelming and strange to you, but if you would like Hermione to go to Hogwarts then I ask if you could just sign this paper her." She handed a rolled up piece of heavy parchment to Caroline and David and pointed to where they should sign.

"I'm very sorry, but there's nothing on this paper." Caroline handed to parchment back to McGonagall and glanced at her husband.

"Oh sorry, here." She tapped the parchment with her wand and the writing appeared in bold lettering, "I forgot to take the muggle repelling charm off, did you have the same problem with the letter?"

"Yes they did. What's a muggle?" Hermione asked.

"Muggles are non-magic people like your parents. That's another thing actually." McGonagall handed the parchment back to the Granger's and turned to Hermione to explain. "It is very important that from now on you do not tell any muggles about your abilities, your parents are an exception of course; also, as you can see from my shoes, we have to try very hard to fit in whilst around muggles so that they don't suspect who or what we are." McGonagall indicated to her shiny trainers.

Hermione thought that the professor needed a lesson on fitting in as her long robes and pointy hat rather cancelled out the effort of the trainers. As to 'fitting in', Hermione had been living in the muggle world all her life so she didn't think that that would be a problem, she was more worried about fitting in with the wizarding world.

"Term starts on September 1st but you will need to buy your uniform, books and most importantly your wand. I will take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow so that you can buy all this." McGonagall got up from her seat as if to leave. The Grangers got up too and handed the parchment back to the professor.

"Can we offer you a bed for the night?" Caroline asked, Hermione nodding eagerly beside her.

"That is very kind but I must get home. Thank you for your patience and I shall be along early tomorrow to take you to London." She shook the Granger's hands and before they could show her out she just vanished.


End file.
